Chapter 40 — "The First Blow"The café on Larkin Street was quiet at this hour, just a scatter of early regulars nursing coffee behind newspapers, and Sora found herself scanning every face twice before she let herself sit down at the corner table nearest the window.She was three minutes early. She used them to breathe.At exactly ten, a woman slid into the seat across from her without asking, moving like someone who'd done this kind of meeting before, someone comfortable with the choreography of it. She was striking in a sharp, deliberate way, dark hair pulled back tight, eyes that assessed Sora fully before she said a single word."You came alone," the woman said. "Good. That tells me something.""You said to. Who are you.""Nephis Lukeman." She said it plainly, like the name should mean something, and when Sora's face stayed blank, something flickered across hers, not quite disappointment. "You don't know me. I suppose that'
Last Updated : 2026-08-19 Read more